Today's healthcare environment: Increasing pressure on your healthcare professionals.

• Regulatory and economic pressures
• Variability in hospital processes, device types and manufacturers, as well as in dose across your diagnostic studies
• Complexity in data connectivity across the healthcare system and in accessing the right information at the right time

Current Industry Awareness

Joint Commission New & Revised Diagnostic Imaging Standard (July 2015)
The Joint Commission recently approved standards changes for accredited hospitals, critical access hospitals, and ambulatory care organizations that provide diagnostic imaging services, including those ambulatory organizations that have achieved Advanced Diagnostic Imaging Certification.

Texas Administrative Code requires (but is not limited to)¹:

• Establishment of method to monitor radiation exposure
• Establishment of dose limits or reference levels
• Training/education requirements
• New calibration requirements for medical imaging devices
• Establishment of a Radiation Protocol Committee
• Establishment of method to maintain a record of the radiation output information
• Establishment of protocol review process

California Senate Bill 1237 - CT Dose²

• Emphasizing the recording of radiation dose for every CT exam
• Reporting events exceeding thresholds set by the CDPH

National Radiology Data Registry (May 2012)³
In May, the American College of Radiology (ACR) launched its National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR), a warehouse of ACR registry databases that compares radiology facilities regionally and nationwide according to facility type. The registry includes a tool that can be used to target specific areas for improving practice.

US Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert (2011)⁴
In the interest of creating a safety culture, the Commission asked providers to:

• Invest in dose reduction and optimization technologies
• Track dose from repeated exams
• Capture dose information in the EMR and national dose registry

Image Wisely^® (2010)⁵
The American College of Radiology and the Radiological Society of North America, in collaboration with the American Society of Radiologic Technologists and American Association of Physicists in Medicine, urges imaging professionals to:

• Optimize imaging examinations to use minimal radiation
• Educate the imaging team
• Communicate with referring physicians
• Routinely review protocols

Image Gently^® (2008)⁶
An alliance of 13 medical societies, agencies and regulatory groups issued a pledge to image gently when imaging or treating children:

• Use a "child-size" dose
• Scan only when necessary
• Scan only the indicated region
• Scan once (multiphase scanning is not usually necessary)

1. 25 TAC 289.227 - Use of Radiation Machines in the Healing Arts
2. California SB 1237 115111, 115112, 115113
3. American College of Radiology
4. Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert 47 August 24, 2011
5. Radiology: 257(3), December 2010
6. AJR: 190, February 2008